Cardona, Five Others Join State Boxing Hall Of Fame

UNCASVILLE — Israel Cardona never had one of those great boxing nicknames like "Iron," "Sugar" or "Thunder," he was always just "Pito." But on Saturday, Pito earned the right to call himself by another name: Hall of Famer.

Cardona was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame in the ballroom at Mohegan Sun on Saturday night. The induction was the final bell on a career that began in Hartford more than 20 years ago.

"I had a lot of fights and I did a lot of things in boxing," Cardona said. "I fought a lot of tough guys and I won a lot of tough fights."

Originally a boxing coach for the Hartford Police Activities League, Cardona, a Hartford native, turned to pro boxing at the age of 18 as a way to support his newborn son. He made $140 in his pro debut on Feb. 12, 1993 in Warwick, R.I., winning that fight and his next 23 bouts, claiming the International Boxing Organization super featherweight title over Jeff Mayweather in a unanimous decision in August of 1995.

But for Cardona, 39, like so many other athletes, it wasn't the wins (36) that he remembers the most; it's the losses (10). Unranked in the USBA, Cardona knocked out the second-ranked Ivan Robinson in July of 1997, but was forced to watch on TV as Robinson got two big-money fights with Arturo Gatti.

"I was happy for [Robinson], if I was in his position, I would have wanted another shot," said Cardona.

Despite the disappointment of not getting his chance at Gatti, missing out on a fight with Sugar Shane Mosley cut even deeper. Mosley went up in weight before "Pito" ever got his opportunity.

"That was the fight I wanted all along," Cardona said.

Still, the win over Robinson vaulted Cardona up the rankings, and he eventually became the No. 1 lightweight in the IBF. But in August of 1999, Cardona lost a unanimous decision to third-ranked Paul Spadafora in Spadafora's home state of West Virginia. It was a match marred in controversy from the beginning, from doping allegations to questionable judges.

Cardona calls it the politics of boxing, but still feels cheated.

"There was no drug test for that fight; they still haven't come out with the truth," he said. "Every time you fight, you always get drug-tested; it was the only IBF title fight without a drug test."

Cardona would win only five of his final 12 fights, the last bout of his career coming against Hector Camacho in August of 2009. He has since retired and still lives in East Hartford with his wife and two newborn sons. He credits boxing for landing him a job with the Department of Social and Youth Services in Wethersfield and giving him the opportunity to train boxers at Rugged Fitness in Wethersfield.

Cardona's aggressive style, highlighted by punishing body shots and a strong chin, ultimately made him a six-time champion and a Hall of Famer.

Although he admits that given the opportunity he might do things differently: "I probably should have learned to duck more," Cardona said with a smile. "But my aggressive style is what made me a champion."

Cardona joins five other inductees in the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame: Al Berstein, an ESPN analyst from 1980-2003; Johnny "Coach" Callas, a Central product who was a professional referee for 20 years; Luigi Camputaro, who fought in eight world, European or U.S. title matches; promoter Joe Deguardia, who brought several prominent title fights to the state; and Roland Roy, the president of the United States Amateur Boxing CT for the past 20 years.

Also honored was former Courant sports writer George Smith, given the Contribution to Boxing Award. Smith was a founding director of the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame and left journalism to become a professional judge in 1996. Smith, of West Hartford, scored numerous notable fights in his career. Smith couldn't be in attendance on Saturday, so his wife, Mary Ellen, accepted the honor on his behalf.

"George loved boxing. … It was always very special to him," Mary Ellen said. "His whole life has been permeated by boxing, so it is an honor for him to receive this."